FCUM

It’s been a testing few months in FC land to be honest. This eighth season has been a slog off the pitch. Frustration at the NIMBY’s in Moston and the drawn out nature of the Judicial Review has left this particular member feeling that if there was a plan B we really should go full steam ahead with it. I have no enthusiasm for Moston anymore.

Anxiety over the uncertainty with the ground has undoubtedly contributed to the strange vibe that has been apparent in our online community recently.  The nadir has undoubtedly been the fallout from the infamous resolution 5 aka no Sky TV in the new ground. A resolution was put forward that no club funds should be used to fund a satellite TV subscription in the new ground.

Those who pointed out that it was a nonsense to have this debate when there is no ground yet, or that the resolution encompassed many smaller issues worthy of their own resolutions, were portrayed by some as being Pro Sky when they were nothing of the sort. This hardly helped matters. Factor in that at all previous General Meetings, resolutions have been trusted to stand alone on the strength of the persuasiveness of their wording. However, on this occasion, a concerted publicity campaign was undertaken (including canvassing the views of a supporter of a fellow supporter run club) of a nature that made you feel there was no escape or room for free thinking. This left many feeling uneasy.

Rightly or wrongly there is view that just like many other left wing organisations we have turned in on ourselves and that alternative interpretations of the key principles of our club will no longer be tolerated. I hope that isn’t the case.

Not aiding the situation is that the club hasn’t really evolved as much as it should in terms of its transparency and accountability. Being cited as issues by some include:

- the editor of the club’s most active fanzine ( a fanzine that was seen by some to be at the centre of the spin surrounding resolution 5 and has begun to see it’s role increasingly as the self appointed Moral Compass of the club) being married to the Club Secretary

- said fanzine editor being paid a fee to create the club’s, admittedly excellent, programme

- a board member (now ex) writing for said fanzine

- lack of transparency over the recruitment procedures for key paid and unpaid club roles leaving key personnel open to accusations of Cronyism

I personally don’t think the club has been compromised by any of the above or that the integrity of the club is in question. However, they certainly haven’t helped matters and there are clear conflicts of interest. We have some growing up to do as a club on the administration and governance side. Oh and I need to get to more games as well before anyone points that out